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NEWS: Sussex Sign England’s Wyatt

Sussex have announced the signing of England’s Danni Wyatt from Nottinghamshire, following the Outlaws’ relegation to Division 2 of the Women’s County Championship.

The 24-year-old Wyatt began her career at Staffordshire, making her senior debut in 2005 alongside Georgia Elwiss, scoring 4 centuries and taking 65 wickets for the county prior to her move to Notts in 2013.

At Notts between 2013 and 2015 she added another 5 centuries to her tally and also took 37 wickets, despite being forced by injury to remodel her bowling action during that period. In 2014 she helped Notts to victory in the T20 Cup, smashing a crucial 41 off 19 balls against Middlesex, as Notts edged-out their finals-day rivals on Net Run Rate.

However, the following season ended somewhat less happily, with Notts perhaps somewhat unluckily relegated from Division 1 of the County Championship on bonus points, despite winning 3 from 8, as 4 sides finished with the same number of wins.

An exodus of their England stars was therefore to be expected, with the players looking to ensure competitive cricket in the light of the vast gulf between Divisions 1 and 2 of the County Championship.

The signing is a major boost for Sussex, who have essentially opted to largely sit-out of Super League and focus their efforts on the county game, bringing the women’s performance squad directly into the men’s county “club” structure for the first time this season. (Most women’s county teams sit under their amateur county “boards” rather than the professional “clubs” which participate in the elite men’s competitions.)

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5 thoughts on “NEWS: Sussex Sign England’s Wyatt”

And what will Sussex be saying to the girl that has come through the junior county system, travelling up and down the country in her own time and at her own expense for the last 10 years, who finally broke through to the full women’s county team and who was an integral part of that same team that so nearly won the County Championship last season and who will now be dropped?
How does this help to recruit and, more importantly, retain girls in a sport that is already haemorrhaging its players to other sports?
Women’s cricket needs to reconsider county transfers and the dubious “loan” system that benefits the “chosen” ones at the expense of everyone else.

In my experience the player from the junior team you mention has been (partly at any rate) spurred on by the thought of playing with the best in the game, learning from them and just having the pleasure of being around them, on and off the field. It’s true Sussex have two internationals already and you could argue your point about having a third, with which I have some sympathy. . Wearing my Sussex hat as a supporter I am of course delighted that we are to have a player who must be among the most exciting anywhere in the world. I am split down the middle on your argument every time it has been considered, and rest assured it is always considered. On this occasion we are replacing one international, Erin Osborne, with another, so the number of places for the youngsters has remained virtually the same. There should be no necessity for that player to be dropped if she is currently in the side except on the basis of her current form. Such a choice, appointing a new international player, is always a balancing act and a matter of judgement about what is best for the county and not forgetting its young players
I am, however, a keen supporter of the idea that top players should play at every level. Were I able to write the England contracts I would be insisting that all internationals play club as well as county and England. That in my opinion would do an enormous amount to encourage the youngsters who otherwise can only watch their heroes from the boundary and never see them in the club nets or play with them in their club side.
On the loan system I would agree that there’s no doubt it has been abused. However, there are two sides to this. It did enable a young and very promising wicket keeper to leave Sussex and play for another Division One county (thus you could argue pushing out a youngster from that county I suppose) since it was obvious to everyone that she would not be selected for Sussex ahead of Sarah Taylor. I am sure she would not have expected that. Was she supposed to send the rest of her career just playing club cricket when she showed every prospect of being the second best keeper in the country? I would hope not…
All these rules and regulations are full of loopholes and if anything is needed it is integrity on the part of county managements in administering them, and the recognition that for years county cricket has provided players for one of the most successful international sides in the game.
For a number of games this year there will be three slots to fill in the Sussex side as internationals are withdrawn for England duty so there will be some opportunities for the player you mention if she is not in the side in any case. If she grabs it, then there’s no reason she will not be one of the other eight to appear right through 2017, although, of course, county selection means many more than 11 players will represent Sussex this coming season.
When the WCSL starts its 50-over version (in 2017?), we can expect county/WCSL clashes. Then county opportunities will become more frequent as top players, and not just internationals either (!), disappear at regular intervals from county sides. Perhaps this youngster may be one of them.
I must declare an interest in this argument as I am currently Chairman of the Sussex Women’s Cricket Association, but I must also make it clear that the opinions and thoughts above are strictly my own and not, necessarily those of the Association or of its other members.
Who is selected for each individual match will be a matter for the coach, Charlotte Burton, and the skipper, Sarah Taylor.

U21s competition is a good idea running alongside County system as players mature at different rates. Too many are written off by England early in their careers and there are too many older players hanging on in the England camp due to the increased financial rewards. The new T20 competition should not just be for the elite or controlled by the Counties, they were meant to be franchises, but, alas they are not. It appears to me just more rewards for the established players. They should have had a designated number of U21s in the teams. I expect there are similar Jamie Vardy type players out there being missed who are probably playing in men’s cricket avoiding the County circus. The older players have peaked they won’t be getting any better only richer as they milk the game preventing youngsters developing. As for Ms Wyatt she should have stayed at Notts and worked harder to get them promoted back to the top division, it says it all really she owes Notts for her career ……just saying etc.

Re Wyatt – Seems harsh. Would she be able to play in Div 2 and her game not suffer / still play for England though? I don’t blame her for moving. This sort of thing happens all the time in other sports.